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Severe weather events, including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, extreme heat, and major winter storms are growing in frequency and intensity. Severe weather impacts the electrical grid and infrastructure by increasing electricity demand, reducing the amount of electricity it can generate, and making it more difficult to supply power as high winds, flooding, and fires take down infrastructure. Resilience, or the ability to function after or during an ongoing natural disaster or accidental power outage, is imperative. Power generation that is independent of the electric grid can provide reliable energy during these severe weather events.
Builders Prep Jobsites for Incoming Weather
When severe weather is bearing down on your residential build, what do you do to prepare the jobsite? Local builders have to prepare their own homes for impending weather and must consider all of their active projects and job sites. A single development could have hundreds of homes in various stages of construction, as well as the equipment, materials, and tools that are part of each build. Depending on the type of weather event, construction projects could be impacted by high winds, flooding, snow, and even fire. Each type of weather event will have its own hurdles and best practices to keep crews safe and the jobsite intact.
Builders must:
Secure jobsite equipment.
- Heavy equipment and small tools pose significant danger if caught up in high winds or floodwaters, including electrical hazards, or water contamination.
Secure and possibly provide backup power for jobsite trailers and sales centers.
- If the threat of weather is not so severe to shut down operations for an extended period, you may want to keep the sales center open and a skeleton crew and essential workers on hand. They will need a functioning jobsite trailer and/or office that has adequate power and climate control.
Fill all propane tanks, which is especially important when winter weather is approaching.
- If the power goes out, propane appliances and generators can still work independent of the electric grid.
Line up temporary heating or cooling, depending on the season and climate.
- Excessive heat and cold can damage building materials and put crew members at risk.
Ensure portable propane generators are well-maintained and operating.
- Backup power is a necessity but does no good if the equipment hasn’t been maintained.
Propane Plays a Role in Weather Prep
Fortunately, propane-powered equipment can help provide continuity during severe weather. Propane-powered mobile backup generators provide portable power that can operate tools, heaters, fans and temporary HVAC systems. Temporary heating and cooling systems can also be powered by propane. These may include direct and indirect fired industrial heaters, which provide portable and supplemental heating solutions for jobsites, or makeup air heaters that provide environmental heat. Portable air conditioners and dehumidifiers can be brought to the area where work is being done to protect critical workspaces from becoming unbearably hot and humid. In addition, ground thawing equipment and concrete curing machines can help extend the construction season by thawing the work site.
Temporary Heating, Cooling, and Backup Power for Jobsites
Ed Parker, owner of Ohio Temporary Heating and Air, shared his experience developing and selling propane power generation equipment for temporary heating and portable power needs. His company rents temporary construction equipment including climate control systems, portable generators, ground thawing/concrete curing and propane services. Parker notes, “Although propane-powered generators have been used for years in Canada, diesel generators have been the industry standard in the United States. But diesel generators are limited by regulations on the amount of fuel that can be stored on-site, requiring frequent refueling.”
Propane generators can be mounted on trailers with on-board tanks, making them portable and able to run for several days without having to tie into a larger tank. They can also be connected to larger tanks for extended use, providing continuous power without interruption and eliminating the need for frequent fuel deliveries.
Parker says, “We have a fleet of over 400 propane generators, which is unique in the temporary construction equipment industry, as most companies only offer diesel generators. Unlike traditional diesel generators, our equipment runs on propane year-round, offering operating costs about 1/3 less than diesel. The fuel savings alone will pay almost the entire rental cost of the generator for the construction site.”
Learn more about propane power generation and its role in preparing for severe weather.
